Differentiating products with a consistent messaging platform
Situation
Argon Medical Devices faced a challenge that is not uncommon among large and diverse manufacturers: Their core audience of surgeons and clinical staff knew the names of their more successful product lines (such as Skater™, Option™ and Cleaner™), but had little awareness of their corporate brand. This made expansion and cross-selling across their 2,000-product portfolio more difficult.
This was particularly true of their soft tissue biopsy division which, as their largest U.S. division, accounted for a significant portion of the total soft tissue biopsy market. However, the biopsy market had remained stagnant as a category and Argon and Schaefer saw an opportunity to differentiate the lead product, BioPinceTM, by selling against an emotional benefit for the interventional radiologist. Schaefer leapt at the challenge to set the biopsy division apart from the crowd — while providing a consistent platform that would support the various biopsy products and areas of specialization including lung, kidney, liver and breast.
Goals
- Differentiate the Argon biopsy division from competitors
- Provide a consistent platform to support the various biopsy products
- Create a campaign to allow Argon to demonstrate the versatility of its soft tissue biopsy portfolio across multiple organs
Strategy
The agency developed a breakthrough campaign around a simple insight — interventional radiologists need to get in, out and achieve a clean sample for accurate analysis. Minimal disruption, maximum confidence is the goal.
While a feature-heavy product-selling message was table stakes in this market, no one had really
tapped into what a device really delivered — confidence that comes from a better sample.
Solution
Working closely with the soft tissue biopsy team, Schaefer developed a messaging platform that elevated the brand above product attributes, and tied into the corporate Argon tagline, “The Pursuit Of Better.” Using the theme of “Sample Better,” we developed a campaign designed to “cut through the clutter” – in this case, the endless barrage of look-alike devices that exemplified the category’s advertising.
Images drawn from the popular “Jenga” game were used to represent the delicate balance and precise execution required to obtain optimum biopsy samples. The “Sample Better” theme also carried a dual message: It implied the superior quality of the Argon products, but also spoke to the cares and concerns of radiologists, for whom better sampling meant fewer patient call-backs, as well as easier and more accurate diagnosis.
Results
By developing this flexible and relevant platform, the Argon soft tissue biopsy division was able to:
- Establish a consistent positioning that will stand the test of time
- Strike a balance between a consistent platform and customizable messaging
- Cut through the clutter of “product/feature” advertising
- Provide an extendable platform that all biopsy product lines can embrace
- Leverage all product and division communications to create greater awareness and recognition of the Argon name.
Summary
The messaging for the Argon soft tissue biopsy division is a prime example of Schaefer’s commitment to delivering solutions that work harder and provide extended value. By creating a “better” message, Schaefer was able to establish a foundation for the biopsy division could easily adapt for their own products and audiences. As a result, the various team members were free to operate somewhat autonomously, while still reinforcing the overall Argon brand. This approach also freed them from an endless cycle of product/benefit advertising and enabled them to launch and support products with a campaign that would continue to build brand awareness with each and every future execution.
